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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · club · pitch · spell · stick · ruler · bowl · file

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. file — a document
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. file — a tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a line of people
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com